Jimmie’s Ladder 11

We stopped in for snack, beer, and conversation. After wandering around outside trying to find the door, we found excellent date/bacon roll and weak beer selection but great price. Menu was appealing. The band was ridiculously loud so we tried to hide in the upstairs back corner. Other folks similarly relocated to the back. Other commenters here have wondered what it's like when there's a band. Wonder no longer. Obscenely too loud. Triggered palpatations...seriously. Glad they're close to MVH! The band was good, but it's not a concert, people. Let us eat, drink and be merry. Some eating, one drink, and certainly not merry, we were outta there. May come back to support great local ownership when there's no music. Maybe. Unless they have the tube amped. The date/bacon roll will be the draw.

I've been to Jimmy's several times now. The food is always decent, but the service has been hit or miss. There have been a couple of times when it took over an hour for our food. It is also VERY loud. I can't imagine what it would be like with a band. On that note...why on earth would they build that stage area and completely block off what used to be the fire truck garage door? Why not take advantage of the history of the building and put a set of garage doors on there that can be opened during the summer? It is also quite puzzling on how to enter the building. Very weird logistics. And I'm not even going to mention the horrific parking lot. It's awful.

I do think it has potential and it's nice to see local spots doing well....I'm just puzzled by some of the logistics and thoughts that went into designing the building. The kitchen and/or servers really need to pick up the pace too.

I couldn't tell you how many discussions I've had with other patrons of Jimmie's that the transformation went-"Great local bar with great food", to "restaurant that serves alcohol."
I love the history, the thought that went into the renovation, and the amazing building, but stop trying to be something you are not.
I don't understand why local treasures feel the need to transform and do a 180 to the complete opposite atmosphere. It's just sad.
I have walked into Jimmie's on three different occasions and walked right back out the door. It just doesn't feel right to walk into a "bar" for a drink and there is nowhere to drink.
Also, the food was not that impressive.

TERRIBLE! Avoid this place at all costs! The service was terrible, the waiter and manager were rude and the food wasn't even good (even after waiting 2 hours to get it) The entire dinning room was complaining and received poor service. To make things even better the waiter went ahead an altered my credit card receipt to give himself an extra tip. I am appauled!

As a South Park resident and a somewhat regular at the Cornerstone I was so happy for Jimmy and his family when they hit the 'jackpot' when MVH bought their property.
After a bumpy opening, including a sewer breakdown, I've been in there probably 8-10 times. Each time I told myself 'it's gonna get better'. First I need to say the place is beautiful. While it does not have nearly the neighborhood charm as the old place, the designers did a GREAT job. But three things hit me about the design the very first time i was there. First the bar is waaaay to small....only 14 seats..the noise from so many hard surfaces makes conversation very difficult and thirdly there is a band stand that takes up entirely too much valuable floorspace and i can't imagine the acoustics when a band plays.

I have so wanted to make this place my new favorite place and show it off to friends and associates as a Dayton landmark, an 'original' as I never frequent chain operations.

So we went to the new Jimmie's last night for the first time. I have to admit, it is very very nice inside. The renovations and decor are absolutely superb. The food, even with the place being just about full to capacity, was served fast and tasted great also. I would love to go back and try other entrees; everything on the menu looked wonderful. Will I? Probably not. There were two things that were enough to make me think twice before returning.

First, and this is only a mild annoyance, is getting into the place. From the parking lot, you can take the sidewalk which means you have to walk 3/4 of the way around the building to get in, or you can walk down the road on the south side of the building, no sidewalk there. Like I said, only a mild annoyance and nothing that can be done about it; you can't move a building just to put in a sidewalk.

The real reason I would be hard-pressed to return is the noise. The main dining room / bar is fabulously redone with antique woods and tile. The decor is absolutely stunning, but also bounces noise around like there is no tomorrow. The general din from conversation noise was loud, but tolerable. What put it over the top however, was someone's idea that the entire establishment needed to listen, in loud stereo, to the football game that was playing on all the TVs scattered about. I had to repeat my beer order three times to the waitress before she understood me. And when the commercials came on? Forget trying to talk to someone at your table.

The decor and feel of the place is much more upscale, but no less comfortable, than the Cornerstone. It has that, "I could stay here all night" coziness to it. It's unfortunate that the managers feel that everyone there has come specifically to watch TV. I would love to take friends there for an evening of food, drinks and conversation, but it isn't possible with the current arrangement.